Walmart may be making a big move towards developing and using virtual reality technology. The company has confirmed that its tech-based subsidary, Store No 8, has acquired the startup Spatialand, which has created tools that will help convert normal content into VR experiences.

Spatialand previously worked with Walmart to develop a VR demo that the retailer said could serve as an example of how millions of future shoppers will use the technology. Now that partnership has turned into a full acqusiiton of Spatialand. The company, based in Venice, California, has 11 current employees. The specific financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In an interview with Recode, Katie Finnegan, the current head of Walmart’s Store No. 8 and the interim CEO of Spatialand, stated that we may not see what this team has been working on for at least a year, and perhaps longer. She added that Store No. 8 is working on retail technology that may not enter into the mainstream for another five years. That shows that Walmart is playing the long game when it comes to new retail experiences, as it tries to compete successfully with Amazon and other retailers.

It will be interesting to see how VR will be used at Walmart’s brick-and-mortar locations, as well as online. While it’s easy to imagine how wearing VR and AR devices can help when ordering products online in the privacy of your own home, it will be a bigger challenge to see that kind of technology implented in the company’s thousands of stores.

The HTC Vive is about to get a big brother. During CES 2018, HTC announced it will launch the Vive Pro. This new headset will include improvements in displays, audio and more compared to the nearly two year old HTC Vive.

According to HTC’s Vive blog, The new Vive Pro will include dual-OLED displays that will combine for a resolution of 2,880 x 1,600, which is 78 percent higher than what’s included on the original HTC Vive. It will also include integrated headphones with a built-in amplifier for a better audio experience. The Vive Pro also has a redesigned headstrap with a sizing dial that should make it easier to wear over long periods. Finally, the new headset will include dual microphones with active noise cancellation support, along with dual front-facing cameras.

All of this sounds great, but so far HTC has yet to reveal a price tag or a release date for the Vive Pro. Considering that the current Vive headset sells for $599, it’s likely that the Vive Pro will cost a few hundred dollars more.

Along with the Vive Pro, HTC also annonced the Vive Wireless Adaptor, which will allow both Vive and Vive Pro owners to cut the cord on their PC and experience VR games and apps wirelessly. The Vive Wireless Adaptor will use Intel’s WiGig technology to connect your home PC to the Vive headsets, and HTC says that it will use the 60Ghz band, which should offer low latency. The adaptor will launch sometime in the third quarter of 2018, but again a price tag was not revealed.

Do you want to play action-packed smartphone VR games, but don’t want to wear a headset? A company called Merge claims to have a solution with its newly announced product: the Merge 6DoF Blaster. It’s shaped like a retro sci-fi pistol, but its true purpose is to give gamers an easier way to experience VR and AR games.

According to Merge, the 6DOF (Six Degrees of Freedom) Blaster will contain high-end positional tracking technology. This will let owners who attach a smartphone to the Blaster to move around virtual worlds by physically moving, ducking and jumping in the real world. The Blaster will be released later this summer, but the company has yet to reveal its price. Merge also plans to launch an SDK for VR and AR developers as well, which will allow them to make apps that are compatible with the Blaster. It will also release the Blaster’s manufacturing specs so that hardware makers can create their own products that will work with Blaster-based apps.

In addition, the company has announced the Merge Mini, a smartphone VR headset made especially for children that are 10 years of age or older. The small and lightweight headset is designed to be used by smaller hands, and will work with most Android or iOS-based smartphones. It will also launch this summer and will be priced under $30.

Finally, the company has announced the Merge Miniverse, an online store where smartphone owners can check out VR-based games and 360-degree videos. All of these products are being demoed this week in Las Vegas as part of CES 2018.

]]>https://vrsource.com/merge-6dof-blaster-vr-ar-smartphone-12427/feed/0Lenovo Daydream VR headset passes through FCChttps://vrsource.com/lenovo-daydream-vr-headset-fcc-12421/
https://vrsource.com/lenovo-daydream-vr-headset-fcc-12421/#respondWed, 27 Dec 2017 10:49:20 +0000https://vrsource.com/?p=12421It appears that Lenovo has a new Daydream VR headset on the way featuring BT 5.0 and a 4,000 mAH battery, according to information from the FCC.

Google’s mobile VR initiative, Daydream, may soon have another OEM on board. Thanks to the FCC and LetsGoDigital, we now know that a Lenovo Daydream VR headset is on the way. The headset, which sports model number “Lenovo VR-1541F,” is called the “Mirage Solo” and is a standalone device (it doesn’t need a smartphone to operate) arriving complete with a Daydream remote.

Unfortunately, we don’t have many concrete specifications just yet, but the device is said to feature a 4,000 mAh battery and support Bluetooth 5.0 (found in the latest flagship Android phones such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and Google Pixel 2). As of right now, that’s all we know. However, given that the device has passed through the FCC it’ll probably be here sooner rather than later, and we will have more details to share as they are released. As XDA points out, CES is just around the corner, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the device make an appearance at the trade show.

Given that HTC’s Daydream partnership fell through, and the entry-level price of competitors such as the soon-to-be-released Oculus Go, Lenovo will have to either price similarly if not slightly lower than the Go to remain competitive. The lack of competition in the Daydream market right now isn’t helping consumers — headset retails prices aren’t being driven down — but the pricing of the Go gives hope for mobile VR enthusiasts.

What are your thoughts on this new headset? Let us know what you think in the comments.

]]>https://vrsource.com/lenovo-daydream-vr-headset-fcc-12421/feed/0Oculus Rift gets a last minute holiday price cut to $379, VR game bundles also availablehttps://vrsource.com/oculus-rift-holiday-sale-379-12411/
https://vrsource.com/oculus-rift-holiday-sale-379-12411/#respondMon, 18 Dec 2017 15:09:48 +0000https://vrsource.com/?p=12411The Oculus Rift VR headset holiday price cut event will last from now until the end of the day on Wednesday, December 20.

We are now just one week away from Christmas, but many of you might still looking for the perfect gift to give to your favorite PC gamer. The folks at Oculus have made that easier with a last minute holiday price cut promotion for their Oculus Rift VR headset. You can get the Rift, plus two Oculus Touch controllers, for the price of $379, which is a $20 reduction from its normal $399 cost.

See also:

Best Oculus Touch Games

September 21, 2017

As revealed on the Oculus blog, the price cut promotion will last from now until 11:59 pm Pacific Time on Wednesday, December 20 (2:59 am Eastern Time on December 21). The discount is available from a number of online retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, and Newegg.

In addition to the holiday price promotion, Oculus is also selling three downloadable VR game bundles for $89.99 each. All three bundles contain seven Oculus Rift games, which if bought separately would cost far more than their bundle prices. In addition, the Oculus Store has cut the prices of 250 games by as much as 80 percent during its Winter Sale, along with even deeper discounts for games selected for Daily Deals promotions. The Winter Sale on the Oculus Store will last until January 2, which means if you get that Oculus Rift for yourself or your family this week, you can also save a ton of money on great games like Star Trek: Bridge Crew, Lone Echo, Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality and many more.

]]>https://vrsource.com/oculus-rift-holiday-sale-379-12411/feed/0Star Wars: Jedi Challenges VR/AR app to add The Last Jedi content (porgs!) in Jan. 2018https://vrsource.com/star-wars-jedi-challenges-vr-app-add-last-jedi-content-jan-2018-12404/
https://vrsource.com/star-wars-jedi-challenges-vr-app-add-last-jedi-content-jan-2018-12404/#respondThu, 14 Dec 2017 19:51:29 +0000https://vrsource.com/?p=12404Lenovo's recently launched mobile VR game will add a way to fight two Praetorian Guards from The Last Jedi, among other additions.

Star Wars: Jedi Challenges, the mobile VR/AR game from Lenovo that lets players become Jedi Knights and battle virtual enemies with a lightsaber, will add a free update in January 2018. It will include content from the latest Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi, which opens in theaters today.

The update will add a way for players to fight against two Praetorian Guards, the red armored First Order soldiers, from The Last Jedi. It will also add a way to battle vehicles in a new planet from the movie, Crait, including the huge First Order AT-M6 walker, along with enemies such as the First Order Stormtrooper Executioner and the Riot Control Stormtrooper.

Finally, the Jedi Challenges update will throw in porgs, the lovable bird creatures from The Last Jedi that are becoming hugely popular long before the release of the movie itself. There’s no word on exactly how porgs will be included in the VR game update.

Star Wars: Jedi Challenges includes a custom AR headset that can accommodate iOS and Android smartphones, along with a Lightsaber Controller, which is designed to look like Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber. Finally, there’s a tracking beacon, which is placed on the floor and tracks the AR headset’s movements with its cameras. Players can learn to become Jedi Knights through a series of battle challenges and other features.

Lenovo is selling Star Wars: Jedi Challenges for $199,99 on its website, and you can download the app that goes with it on the Google Play Store.

]]>https://vrsource.com/star-wars-jedi-challenges-vr-app-add-last-jedi-content-jan-2018-12404/feed/0HTC to help 26 more VR startups with its Vive X programhttps://vrsource.com/htc-help-fund-26-vr-startups-vive-x-program-12398/
https://vrsource.com/htc-help-fund-26-vr-startups-vive-x-program-12398/#respondWed, 29 Nov 2017 21:12:47 +0000https://vrsource.com/?p=12398This is the third batch of startup companies that will receive funding from HTC with its Vive X accelerator program.

HTC continues to be a big proponent of the small but growing virtual reality industry. Today, the company behind the HTC Vive headset announced it has added 26 more companies from around the world to its Vive X accelerator program. This is the third batch of companies announced for the program, bringing the total number of startups under Vive X to over 80.

See also:

Best HTC Vive Accessories

October 18, 2017

In addition to financial assistance, companies that are selected to participated in the Vive X program will receive “expertise, resources, planning and an extensive network throughout the VR/AR industry,” according to HTC. The company says this kind of assistance will help boost the entire VR and AR industry.

Many of the new Vive X startups are creating tools that will help developers make better VR apps, such as Apelab, which is making development software that will allow people to create apps, even if they have no prior coding knowledge. Other Vive X startups are already making VR apps, such as Cloudgate Studio, which has made VR games like Brookhaven Experiment and Island 359. Finally, several of the new startups are hoping to expand VR technology itself. That includes Neurable, a company that is attempting to create VR apps that can be controlled by the human mind.

HTC did not state how much money it is investing in these new Vive X startups. It is still taking applications for the program, and interested companies can apply at the Vive website.

HTC first announced that it was working on a standalone VR headset product way back in July, but there’s been little more discussion on the unit since then. This was to be a China-exclusive headset that would lack the previous high-powered PC requirement. Yesterday, HTC announced the device, known as the Vive Focus, in China and provided a better look at what it would offer.

As you can see in the video below (via SlashGear), the device is a far cry from the design seen on the original Vive, coming as it does in a sky blue color. It’s not completely dissimilar to the Acer Mixed Reality headset for Windows seen here, and though the color scheme might not please everyone, the overall aesthetic looks like a significant improvement over the regular Vive (which, let’s be honest, looked pretty awful).

The headset should fit better too, featuring a rotating dial at the back to tighten or loosen it like on the Vive Deluxe Audio Strap, and it comes with what looks like a smaller version of its existing Vive controller, complete with trackpad. What’s more, the unit doesn’t require a smartphone to operate like other VR products, and instead will run on a platform called Wave VR with access to the VivePort store.

We still don’t have any further ideas about the kind of hardware it will be based on, or its release date and price, however. We’d previously heard that it will be based on a Snapdragon 835 chip and have an AMOLED screen, as well as feature 6DoF (six degrees of freedom) tracking, but that’s all we have to go on right now.

See also:

HTC teams up with Logitech to help create VR keyboards for the Vive

November 7, 2017

Though this device is set for Asia, HTC had planned to bring a standalone VR headset to other markets to work with Google’s Daydream platform. According to RoadToVR, though, HTC has now confirmed that those plans have been cancelled.

“We still have a great relationship with Google, but will not be bringing a standalone device to Western markets on Daydream,” an HTC spokesperson told the website. “We’re looking closely at our hardware roadmap, and will share when there is more to come for Western users next year.”

For those of you who would be interested in a standalone Daydream VR device, Lenovo, who announced such a product alongside Google and HTC earlier this year, says it still has one in the works.

]]>https://vrsource.com/htc-vive-focus-daydream-vr-12385/feed/0HTC teams up with Logitech to help create VR keyboards for the Vivehttps://vrsource.com/htc-teams-logitech-help-create-vr-keyboards-vive-12378/
https://vrsource.com/htc-teams-logitech-help-create-vr-keyboards-vive-12378/#respondTue, 07 Nov 2017 20:00:52 +0000https://vrsource.com/?p=12378The BRIDGE developers kit is an SDK created by Logitech that will be offered to select HTC Vive app developers for testing.

HTC is offering developers for its Vive VR headset a chance to test a new tool, co-created by Logitech, that’s designed to help create better VR experiences with using a keyboard. It’s called the BRIDGE developers kit, and the SDK will be given to 50 select Vive developers, based on applications that are being taken from now until November 16.

See also:

Best HTC Vive Accessories

October 18, 2017

In a blog post, HTC said that using keyboards with a VR headset was required for some tasks, such as surfing the net with a web browser. However, the interactions with such a keyboard were not natural, or at least not based on the normal way we use keyboards on our PCs. The BRIDGE developers kit is being offered to help developers create more natural interactions with a physical keyboard while still using a VR headset.

The BRIDGE developers kit will consist of a Logitech G gaming keyboard, along with an extra accessory that puts HTC’s Vive Tracker correctly on the keyboard. Those items, along with the software tools, should help app creators create natural interactions with their VR apps and a real keyboard. The Vive Tracker, combined with the SDK, should allow for a user’s hands to be visible so he or she can see and type on the keyboard.

The price of the SDK is $150. While only 50 developers will be picked for this initial beta test of the tools, it’s possible more will be invited in the coming weeks and months.

]]>https://vrsource.com/htc-teams-logitech-help-create-vr-keyboards-vive-12378/feed/0Google’s Poly offers VR developers a new way to add 3D objects to their appshttps://vrsource.com/googles-poly-offers-vr-ar-developers-new-way-find-3d-objects-apps-12366/
https://vrsource.com/googles-poly-offers-vr-ar-developers-new-way-find-3d-objects-apps-12366/#respondWed, 01 Nov 2017 18:18:33 +0000https://vrsource.com/?p=12366Poly has been created specifically for VR and AD developers to find and download 3D objects that can be used in their apps.

Google is continuing to support the creation of VR and AR apps for developers. In addition to its Cardboard and Daydream platforms, the company is now launching Poly, a new service designed to give developers quick ways to find and download 3D objects for use in their apps.

See also:

Google announces new Daydream View (2017) VR headset for $99

October 5, 2017

The service begins with the new Poly website, which offers developers access to thousands of free 3D models. Everything from pirates to hamburgers to laptops are available to download and can be added to VR and AR apps. Some of the models on the site can also be redesigned, such as adding a couple of extra arms to a space alien. The site will automatically credit and link to the original 3D model when developers publish their new version.

The models can also be used inside established developer tools, including the popular Tilt Brush software. You can view each 3D model in a PC or mobile browser before you download and use it in your app. You can even view each model in VR by wearing a Daydream View or Google Cardboard headset.

This new service represents just the latest developer-themed move into VR and AR for Google. Several weeks ago, the company also revealed its plans for ARCore, its AR-based software development platform. Poly models can also be used for AR apps that access Apple’s rival ARKit platform.